The parade of sports-utility vehicles, in various shapes, sizes and colors, slowly filled the Weeb Ewbank Hall parking lot yesterday as the Jets players arrived back to work after a bye-week mini-vacation.

The challenge for the 7-3 Jets as they ready themselves to play the surging 6-5 Patriots Sunday at Giants Stadium is to maintain the focus and edge that were such a significant part of their current four-game winning streak.

“I don’t feel like we lost it,” Curtis Martin declared after yesterday’s 90-minute afternoon practice. “Practice was up-tempo. Everyone feels rejuvenated. When we came back, it was like coming back to the first day of school. Hopefully, it will translate into the game Sunday.”

In spite of the four-day respite, with many players visiting families and friends out of town, the Jets must remember that they were one of the hottest teams in the NFL coming out of their emotional 24-0 route of the Dolphins two Sundays ago.

The Jets have won six of their last seven games dating back to Oct. 7, with the only loss coming to the Super Bowl-favorite Rams on Oct. 21.

The Jets must not let that week off soften their desire, because Miami’s gift-wrapped victory over Buffalo Sunday has the Dolphins tied with the Jets at 7-3, though the Jets hold the tie-break edge, having swept the season series. Also, a Patriots’ win over the Jets Sunday would throw the AFC East into a free-for-all.

So Herman Edwards’ challenge to keep his players sharp after the rest began yesterday with an early-afternoon meeting and then a 90-minute practice to follow before today’s routine Tuesday players’ day off.

“Right now we’ve got a nice little winning streak going and it’s important to hold onto it,” Edwards said yesterday. “These guys have been in situations before when they’ve won like this. We’ve got to finish it now.”

That was a directly indirect reference to the Jets’ collapse in 2000 when they went from 9-4 and storming to 9-7 and on the outside of the playoff tournament looking longingly in.

It, too, was a reference to the Jets’ history of fast starts and fading finishes.

“Yeah, I’m aware of this team’s history,” Edwards said. “There’s a lot of history to this team. The great part about it is we have a chance to make our own history now, depending on what we do.

“You can look at the past and say this is what happened, but you can’t worry about that. It’s what we do right now. It’s what this football team is going to do the next six games.”

What will be different about this season from last December’s swoon?

“We’re in first place, we’re feeling good about ourselves and we don’t want to lose that feeling,” strong safety Victor Green said.

“We’ve matured and we’ve learned from our mistakes,” cornerback Ray Mickens said. “This is a unique year. This is a December during which we feel good about ourselves and I think we’re going to come out on top this time.

“We’re more focused this year. Herm is keeping our feet on the round, because we’re riding high right now and can easily have our bubble burst.”

Cornerback Aaron Glenn said one of the motivating factors for the team is to reverse its previous trends of finishing meekly after strong starts.

“We’ve all seen the headlines saying we tease people and we disappoint,” Glenn said. “That motivates us to keep riding this wave we’re on.”